


give me those ocean eyes

by shxrogane (minsazucar)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Prompt Fill, idk what's happening i wrote this while high off sleep deprivation tbh, mentions of Lake Mead, mermaid au, monster mermaids are hot only to me and keith apparently, pidge is a monster mermaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 03:02:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14034756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minsazucar/pseuds/shxrogane
Summary: It was difficult swimming with the weight on his back, but by some miracle he made it back, gasping for air and coughing up nasty water. The thin arms around his neck loosened as the person rolled off his back. He sat up to see Hunk and Lance hovering worriedly over him. He turned to his left where he hoped the other person was still breathing.“Hey, are you… oh… kay?” Keith trailed off as he took in the sight before him.It was a girl, maybe around their age. Skin pale with a slight green tint. A green that got stronger at her hands… and hips… andtail.“Holy shit is that a fucking mermaid?” Lance scream-whispered.---mermaid kidge au prompt fill that i had a little too much fun with lol





	give me those ocean eyes

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be a ficlet but it got way out of hand

“Lance, let’s go back already. This place gives me the creeps.”

At Hunk’s shaky declaration, Lance looked back at him with a sly grin. Keith sighed.

“Oh, Hunk, haven’t you heard?”

“About what?”

“About the spirits of the poor souls that were abandoned here to drown?”

“ _Lance._ ”

That was all it took for Lance to launch into a cheesy ghost story about all the people that died during the creation of Lake Mead. Keith huffed and sat on a nearby rock. The full moon overhead lit up the scenery pretty well, although there wasn’t much to see. An ugly sandy shore, the murky surface of the lake, the mountains in the distance.

Lance was flailing his arms around, talking about the drowned towns at the bottom of the lake. Hunk looked like he was ready to bolt at any moment. Keith had his keys ready just in case. Of all the places to hang out at midnight, Lake Mead wasn’t his top choice. The water always smelled funky. It was gross and unnatural, a man-made lake that died a bit more every year.

“Keith, that’s not true right? The ghost towns in the lake?”

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Hunk’s shaky voice.

“Uh, actually yeah. There’s buildings at the bottom of the lake. I think during the drought last summer, the lake receded enough that a few buildings were uncovered actually. It was pretty cool.”

“Yep, okay, we’re leaving, let’s leave.” Hunk stood up, marching stiffly away from the lake.

“No way Hunk! We can’t go yet! We’ll anger the spirits if we just leave.”

Keith rolled his eyes as Hunk gasped.

“Yeah man, we gotta send someone to step into the lake and offer our apologies for disturbing their night. It’s tradition. Right Keith?”

Lance looked over at him, eyes gleaming, and Keith grunted an ambiguous answer.

“Whatever, just do it so we can leave.”

“Aw, is Keith scared of going in the lake?”

“Shut up Lance. Last time I went in that lake I stepped on a dead fish. So thanks, but I’ll pass.”

Lake Mead was _gross_.

Lance muttered something about being no fun, before dragging Hunk to the edge of the shore. The two of them barely managed one step into the water before someone screeched. Surprisingly, it was Lance. He waved frantically as a Hunk stood there frozen in fear. 

“Holy shit, Keith! Keith help! There’s someone in there!”

“G-ghost… _ghost!_ ”

At Hunk’s shout they both scrambled out and away from the water. Keith did the opposite. He rushed _towards_ the water, eyes scanning the surface for this so-called “ghost.” If they really had seen something, then it might actually be a body and they had to call the cops.

Low and behold, there _was_ something there in the lake, pale skin reflecting the moonlight. Holy shit there was an actual body and they actually had to call the cops, fuck. Before Keith could react, the body moved and started flailing around sluggishly.

“Fuck, that’s a _person_.”

Without another thought, Keith kicked off his boots and threw off his jacket and began wading into the murky water. Any thoughts of dirty water were wiped from his mind as he was just focused on reaching the splashing figure and making sure they made it back to shore alive.

“Hey, chill out. I got you. Can you hold on to me?” Keith breathed heavily as he reached the person, unable to get a good look at them with the water in his eyes.

“Yeah, I can,” they croaked before cold arms wrapped around his shoulders, the small figure clinging to his back as he swam back to shore.

It was difficult swimming with the weight on his back, but by some miracle he made it back, gasping for air and coughing up nasty water. The thin arms around his neck loosened as the person rolled off his back. He sat up to see Hunk and Lance hovering worriedly over him. He turned to his left where he hoped the other person was still breathing.

“Hey, are you… oh… kay?” Keith trailed off as he took in the sight before him.

It was a girl, maybe around their age. Skin pale with a slight green tint. A green that got stronger at her hands… and hips… and _tail_.

“Holy shit is that a fucking mermaid?” Lance scream-whispered.

“How does a mermaid _drown_?” Was the first question out of Keith’s mouth.

“I’ve got asthma you asshole,” she wheezed and they all startled.

Alright, so they were at fucking Lake Mead at midnight. Keith had just jumped in the nastiest lake known to mankind to save a drowning mermaid who had asthma. There was only one thing to do.

“Get her in the car, we’re going the fuck home.”

\---

Her name was Pidge. She was a fucking mermaid. Not only that, but she was a dumbass mermaid. 

Her dumb mermaid ass had decided it would be cool to take a dare to swim _up_ the Colorado river from where she lived in the Gulf of California. She swam all the way upstream until she dumped herself in Lake Mead. And then she couldn’t get back. Because of course then there’d been a drought and too many sections of the river had dried up.

She spilled her entire journey-life story as she laid over Hunk’s lap in the backseat, where he occasionally poured some bottled water to keep her moist. At some point they ran out of water and had to use an old bottle of Mountain Dew. Pidge said it was fine. Living in the polluted waters of Lake Mead for a month had made her immune, or so she claimed. It had probably also given her the mermaid equivalent of asthma.

“Also, I think the water there mutated me. See here? I think that’s an extra finger growing from the webbing.”

Moral of story, it was a long drive home, and Keith was half convinced he’d hallucinated the entire thing. Except, when he checked the bathroom the next morning, low and behold there was Pidge, lounging in the tub.

“I wonder if when I get back to the ocean I’ll devolve.”

“What… does that mean…” It was too early in the morning for Keith to handle this.

“Well, since staying in that nasty lake, I’ve developed an extra set of gills to help me breathe through the toxins. Also, this extra finger is starting to freak me out.”

Keith made no comment as to how her pointed teeth, clawed fingers, and blacked out eyes were freaking _him_ out.

“So, Gulf of California.”

“Yup.” She agreed, popping the ‘p’.

“We’d have to cross the border to get there. Will San Diego work?”

She shrugged. “I’m not complaining. I just like breathing again.”

Keith nodded thoughtfully. That would be a five hour drive. If they left late at night, there would be reduced traffic, so maybe only four hours. Also dumping a mermaid into the ocean in broad daylight probably wasn’t the smartest idea.

“Okay, we’ll figure out a way to take you there tonight. You’ll just have to stay in the tub until then.”

“Fine by me,” she smiled, her sharp teeth glittering in the light.

Keith fought back a grimace and continued with his morning routine. The entire time, he could feel those dark eyes on him. Eventually, he had to reach over and slide the shower curtain closed.

“Hey!” She squawked.

“I need to piss, just chill for a second.”

He pulled the curtain back open when he was done, his face warm, to see her pouting up at him. She looked… slightly less terrifying like that. He hesitated a moment before sitting on the floor by the tub.

“Hey, so what’s it like living in the ocean?”

This time, when she smiled, it lit up her face so much that he didn’t even notice the teeth.

\---

“Okay cool, so we’re taking the fish monster person to San Diego in the middle of the night. That’s chill, yeah.”

Hunk rambled nervously as he helped Keith install a makeshift fish tank in place of his front passenger seat. After sitting on the bathroom floor listening to Pidge talk for hours, he remembered to do something productive and figure out a way to transport her. His solution: temporarily tear out the front seat of his car and screw in an oversized fish tank he bought from Petsmart.

“This is kinda like that whale movie, Free Willy.” Lance mused from where he lounged on the lawn.

“This is _nothing_ like Free Willy.” Hunk hissed. Keith shrugged.

“I mean, it kind of is.”

When night fell, they made their move. Keith scooped Pidge out from his tub, carrying her quickly to the tank in his car. He tried not to focus on the slick texture of her skin, almost like a reptile but… slimier. It wasn’t _bad_ , just. Different.

She fit in the tank almost perfectly, her head and arms resting on the edge while her tail curled in the fresh water. They were lucky she was so small.

“Alright, with any luck we’ll get to the beach right around 1 am.”

With that, Keith started up his car and took off. Driving was usually the best way to help clear Keith’s mind, so he’d been looking to a nice four hour drive. But for once, he found himself getting distracted from the road. Every splash of water, every click of nails against glass, every glittering reflection of street lights off pale green skin; it all commanded his attention in a way nothing ever had.

Well, he supposed it was only natural to be distracted with a mermaid in your car.

Hunk and Lance tried their best to make idle chit-chat, but Pidge’s humor was as dry as it was dark. It was something Keith had appreciated earlier, when they were talking in his bathroom. Now, he appreciated it even more.

“So, Pidge,” Hunk started, eyes wide, “is it true that there’s bodies at the bottom of Lake Mead?”

She gave him a lazy glance.

“Duh. What do you think I’ve been eating for the past month?”

Keith choked on a wheezing laugh. Hunk straight up just choked. He didn’t speak up again for another hour.

Lance tried to fill the silence, but his conversation was lackluster at best. His spirit was still pretty broken over the fact that mermaids didn’t look like his wet dream fantasy. They looked more like _Keith’s_. He shook that thought off and sped up.

“Have you ever had In-N-Out? Can fish people even eat cheeseburgers?” Hunk asked at some point between Barstow and Victorville.

They stopped at In-N-Out.

Pidge had been hungry, it turned out. Like, really hungry. Devour three double-doubles type of hungry. Keith knew she had been joking earlier, about the whole ‘eating dead bodies’ thing, but now he really had to wonder what she ate in that lake. He tried not to dwell on that for too long.

Soon enough, Hunk and Lance’s snores filled the silence, and Keith compensated by turning the radio up just a bit. He smiled just a bit when he noticed Pidge bobbing her head to the beat. He should be taking this time to talk to her again. More than likely, he wouldn’t see her again after this. Before he could think of something to say, she spoke up.

“I’ve never seen any of this before.” 

Her voice was subdued, awed but also vaguely sad. She was staring out the window, watching the dark desert terrain as they sped by. He hummed. He could imagine a water creature wouldn’t have seen much of the desert in their life. He heard her shift around in her tank and when he glanced over, Pidge was staring at him.

“Keith, I told you about my sea. Now tell me about _yours_.”

He smiled. And so he did.

\---

“Well Pidge, it’s been real, and it’s been fun-”

“But it ain’t been real fun.”

Lance snorted as Hunk finished the punchline, giving his friend an enthusiastic high-five. Keith sighed, the motion heavy due to the weight of the mermaid in his arms. They were on the shore of some nondescript beach, the nearly full moon casting a silver glow on everything. Keith was just steps away from the water, steps away from letting Pidge go.

“Yeah, well, can’t say I’ve had the greatest time either,” she sneered at them, showing off her pointed teeth.

They immediately cowered, shuffling back several feet.

“Alright Keith, well, we’ll just let you do the honors. If she tries to pull you into the sea and eat you, don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

And then they were gone, and he was alone with Pidge, and he had to let her go.

“Well, I hope your asthma gets better. And I hope that extra finger stops growing,” he said, slowly making his way towards the water. Emphasis on _slowly_.

“I hope you’re able to put the seat back in your car so you don’t have to drive around with a fish tank,” she giggled, a shrill sound that definitely wasn’t human. It made his heart race.

“I don’t know, I kinda like the tank.” He shrugged. “It’s unique.”

His feet touched wet sand. The tide rolled up and kissed his ankles. Then his calves. Then he was hip deep and Pidge sighed as the saltwater rolled over her, but she still didn’t swim away, and Keith still hadn’t let go.

“Guess this is goodbye,” he murmured, fingers twitching against her tail.

She hummed. Then, without warning, she wriggled out of his arms and dove into the water. And then he was standing there, alone in the middle of the ocean, and it was only then that he felt the biting cold. He frowned and turned to make his way back to shore. But then something yanked his ankle, and then he was underwater, getting dragged further from shore.

Keith fought to stay calm and open his eyes against the sting of salt water. He was glad he did. There in front of him floated Pidge, smiling bright, but not as bright as her scales. Trails of bioluminescence that covered her tail, her hands, even through her thick knots of hair. It was beautiful and Keith would stare at her forever if he could. But he was only human and he needed air. 

Except Pidge was still holding his ankle. He panicked; holy shit was she actually going to eat him? She drew closer to his face and all he could see was those teeth. He scrunched his eyes shut and waited for the inevitable. 

But the pain never came. Instead, there was the pressure of slick lips against his, and then a rush of air filled his lungs.

“Better?” Pidge asked, pulling back from the light kiss. Keith could only nod dumbly.

“That air won’t last long, but I wanted you to see me all dolled up before you left.”

Keith was too scared that if he opened his mouth, his air would escape. So all he could do was nod and reach out a hand, trailing fingers lightly over her cheek. She leaned into the touch.

“Will you come back?”

Keith nodded again. Anything for her.

“When?”

Keith held up two fingers. Spring break was in two weeks. He’d camp on the beach the whole time if she wanted.

“Okay. I’ll be waiting. Bye Keith.”

And with that, she pressed a final kiss to his lips, more air filling his lungs, before she pushed him away and disappeared. He resurfaced easily, closer to shore than he expected. He was cold and wet and he hadn’t brought an extra set of clothes. But nothing could wipe the ridiculous smile off his face.

“I’ll be back.”

**Author's Note:**

> apparently when i ask for drabble requests, if i like the prompt enough, i'll churn out a full fic instead
> 
> this thing was written in 3 hours with no sleep and there's probs tons of mistakes and it's everywhere, but i like it. i might edit it one day but not today fam. not today.
> 
> hmu on tumblr [@fratboyshiro](https://fratboyshiro.tumblr.com)


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